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Forum Discussion
Smart Sync and Quick Preview on Mac
Smart Sync causes my quick preview function (spacebar) to not function properly on my Mac. I can't preview thumbnails, or quick preview any videos or photos. Any ideas why this happens?
Likely because you're trying to preview a file that doesn't exist on your computer.
When you set a file to Online Only, the only thing that's left of that file on your computer is the necessary information to make it appear in the folder. Since there's no content in the file, your OS (nor any other program) is able to preview it.
Remember, when you set a file to Online Only, the file is removed from the computer leaving behind only a marker file. In order to access that file, whether it be to open and edit it or simply preview it, the file needs to be on the computer (Smart Sync doesn't allow you to open files directly from the Dropbox servers). When you open a file, it's synced back to your local drive and then opened as normal. When you're done with the file, if you want it to be online-only again, you need to mark it as such.
Norah
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox Staff
I, too, have similar issues with Smart Sync disrupting my Quicklook and cannot get it to work. Is there a solution?
- Norah
I too am having the same problem. I now can't preview any of my files stored on my local drive (attached is a screenshot of items on my desktop, stored locally). Is there a fix for this? This is a huge deal breaker!!
I work on a Mac. When I first turn on my computer, I can view images with QuickLook and in the thumbnail, but after a short period of time QuickLook begins to fail and display an icon representing the type of file rather than the image. The image I attached in this email are local files that are on my desk top. One shows how QuickLook and the thumbnails are working properly, the other is after QuickLook malfunctions. Any other files that I preview in a different window will no longer display the thumbnail. Just an icon of the file type. Further, when I press the [Spacebar] to activate QuickLook, only the icon of the file type is displayed.
The images below are screenshots of a local PNG file on my desktop. The first was taken when I first start my computer. The second is the same PNG taken literally one minute after I previewed a Dropbox folder.
